Local

AMMAN — Three people suffered breathing difficulties after inhaling chlorine gas which leaked from a cylinder at Madaba’s Mujib water station, the Civil Defence Department said Friday.

CDD teams administered first aid to the injured and took them to Princess Salma and Karak hospitals, where they were reported to be in fair condition, a CDD statement said.

The leak resulted from a technical malfunction in the switch of the 1,500-litre chlorine cylinder, said the statement, adding that rescue and chemical intervention teams controlled the leak.

AMMAN — A driver of a tanker loaded with T1 oil was injured on Friday after his vehicle overturned near Zarqa Public Hospital, according to the Civil Defence Department (CDD).

Zarqa CDD personnel took the 36-year-old driver to the hospital, where he was listed in fair condition, according to a CDD statement.

Some of the 35-tonne substance carried by private company-owned tanker leaked into the street, but CDD cadres cleaned the area and Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company personnel moved the load of the overturned tanker to another one, added the statement.

AMMAN — Activists held a march that started after Friday prayer from Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque in Zarqa to express solidarity with Jerusalem.

Participants in the march, including popular and partisan movements, called for supporting Jerusalemites in particular and Palestinians in general to enhance their steadfastness against the occupation and guarantee their presence in the city, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

They also called for safeguarding Al Aqsa Mosque against Israeli violations, Petra added.

AMMAN — The “shocking” news about the deaths of Soraya and Jumana Salti dominated social media in Jordan on Saturday, with people calling for a “thorough” investigation into the incident.

Aged 45 and 37, the Saltis were successful businesswomen and from a prominent Jordanian family. 

Soraya, who used to serve as the regional director of Injaz Al Arab, was named among Arabian Business’ Top 100 Most Powerful Arab Women in 2013.

“Soraya was one of the kindest and most soft-hearted [people] I have ever worked with. A true angel, a hard worker and sincere... I wrote her the longest recommendation letter in my entire professional life. She used to help everyone. Her absence is unbearable. May she rest in peace,” Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority Deputy Chief Commissioner Yusuf Mansur wrote on his Facebook page. 

Former deputy prime minister Marwan Muasher also mourned the death of the sisters, saying they were “an example of vitality, love of life and enthusiasm”.

“I was the basketball coach of Jumana when she was eight. I pray to God to give their parents patience and fortitude,” he wrote on his Facebook page. 

The two sisters were found dead on Friday in an alleged act of suicide, a security source said Saturday.

Initial investigations indicate that the sisters jumped off the roof of an under-construction building in the Jweideh area.

“They were at a polo club located near the building that they allegedly committed suicide from,” the source told The Jordan Times.

Investigations are under way to identify the exact cause of death, according to the source.

Friends and acquaintances of the two sisters took to social media to express their shock over the incident, casting doubt over the possibility that they would commit suicide. 

“This is a criminal act. A proper investigation must be called for by women activists,” one Facebook user wrote.

Describing them as “lovers of life, upbeat and ambitious”, another Facebook user who claimed to be close to the sisters said she thinks there is a “mysterious story behind their deaths”. 

“This is certainly a crime. There is no way they committed suicide. Horrible, horrible news. May they rest in peace and may the truth be out,” wrote another person claiming to know the sisters.

Members of the Salti family were not available to comment despite several attempts by The Jordan Times to contact them. 

AMMAN — Amman Deputy Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh on Thursday said the hilly topography of the capital leads to flash floods in "exceptional" weather conditions.

Around 40 millimetres of rain fell during the 45-minute downpour, he said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, describing the figure as exceptional and a rare occurrence. 

Shawarbeh said the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) cleaned all manholes across the city some two months ago, and municipal workers pumped out rainwater from all tunnels and removed debris from streets on Thursday.

Another GAM official told The Jordan Times that the thunderstorm was “too strong” and the volume of rainwater in the streets was beyond the capabilities of GAM and other concerned authorities. 

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said water levels rose rapidly and the manholes were unable to absorb such large quantities. 

“Amman has not seen such torrential rain in decades,” the GAM official said. 

Omar Dajani, a forecaster at Arabiaweather.com, told The Jordan Times that the intensity of the rainfall was the main cause of the flash floods, as between 25 millimetres and 65 millimetres were registered in less than an hour in the capital, which usually receives around 550 millimetres of rain during the wet season. 

“The quantity of rain that fell in around 45 minutes equals around 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the overall rainfall during winter,” the forecaster said. 

The intensity of the downpour, Amman’s topography and the timing of the rainstorm –– the peak hour rush when people are heading to work –– all played a role in exacerbating the effect of the floods that hit the capital, he noted.

The manholes would have absorbed such quantities of rain if it fell over a period of several hours, Dajani said, adding that debris and garbage thrown in the streets usually block manholes in Amman. 

Such heavy rainfall could have caused similar floods in any other city in the world, he argued.

Social media users in the capital blamed GAM’s lack of preparations for the flash floods across the city, particularly downtown Amman, for the chaos witnessed on Thursday.  

AMMAN — Four people, including two children, died on Thursday as heavy rainfall set off flash floods and wreaked havoc in the capital.

In Amman's Arjan area, the 12-year-old and six-year-old sons of an Egyptian janitor drowned in their basement apartment, the Civil Defence Department (CDD) said.

Floodwater inundated the Egyptian family's flat after the fortifying wall of three adjacent buildings in the neighbourhood collapsed, the CDD said in a statement sent to The Jordan Times.

CDD divers retrieved the bodies of the children.

Interior Minister Salameh Hammad and senior officials were present during the rescue attempt.

A 23-year-old man died in Nuzha area, east Amman, after floods swept his house, according to the CDD.

In the Rabiah neighbourhood, central Amman, an Egyptian man was electrocuted to death after rainwater flooded the building where he was staying, a CDD statement said.

The heavy rain flooded several streets and buildings in the capital and closed a number of tunnels, particularly in west Amman neighbourhoods. 

In downtown Amman, the floods damaged the commodities and assets of over 500 shops and warehouses, with the losses estimated at around JD5 million.

Floodwater also inundated some buildings at the University of Jordan, disrupting classes, while several other universities cancelled classes and postponed exams for safety reasons.

Amman residents took to social media to criticise authorities’ lack of preparedness and the capital’s weak infrastructure for the damages incurred due to the heavy downpour, which lasted around 45 minutes.

Unstable weather conditions are forecast to continue affecting the Kingdom until Saturday, the Jordan Meteorological Department said.  

The CDD said its personnel and vehicles in Amman, Balqa and Zarqa governorates dealt with 400 operations to pump water out from shops and ground floor and basement apartments, and rescued some 750 people who were trapped in their vehicles as a result of high water levels, especially in tunnels.

The Central Traffic Department said it dealt with 180 accidents in Amman, while around 1,000 vehicles broke down on the capital’s roads, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The department towed 250 vehicles to clear some roads, while traffic police officers transported eight pregnant women to hospitals, where they gave birth.

The head of the Greater Amman Municipality’s (GAM) media department, Mazen Farajin, told The Jordan Times on Thursday night that all tunnels and roads were open in the capital.

Earlier in the day, GAM personnel had to pump water out from all tunnels in Amman, with the 7th Circle and Haramein Intersection tunnels reopening in the afternoon.

The Social Development Ministry moved around 20 families from their houses in Amman to its affiliated associations after floods swept their residences and made it difficult for them to stay there.

Social Development Minister Reem Abu Hassan visited the father of the two children who drowned, and checked on the conditions of families whose houses were flooded in the capital’s Arjan, Nuzha and 7th Circle areas.

The Public Security Department’s (PSD) Command and Control Centre received around 24,600 calls until 1pm on Thursday reporting cases of stranded people and road accidents, in addition to complaints about power cuts and vehicle breakdowns in tunnels and on roads, according to Petra.

CDD and Zarqa’s Berin Municipality vehicles rescued families who were trapped in eight cars on the area’s main street which turned into a “big river”, Berin Mayor Hani Khalaileh told Petra.

The road was cleared later in the day despite the heavy rainfall by digging side canals which reduced the high water level on the street.

CDD, PSD and Zarqa Municipality personnel also evacuated 1,000 employees from companies, factories and a centre for the deaf and mute in the governorate’s Awajan neighbourhood.

Highway patrols said all inter-governorate highways were open, assuring citizens that there were no obstacles hindering movement on these roads.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Commission (EMRC) registered 419 power failures across the Kingdom due to the prevailing weather conditions, 295 of which were addressed and work was under way to handle other outages, according to Petra.

The maximum load on the electricity grid stood at 2,250 megawatts of the total capacity of 4,000MW, EMRC Chief Commissioner Farouq Hiari told Petra.

Royal Jordanian (RJ) flights on Thursday operated according to schedule.

“All RJ flights are arriving and departing as scheduled without any delays or diversions,” RJ Spokesperson Basel Kilani said, adding that visibility was good for aviation.

Kilani also noted that the seven incoming flights to Jordan on Tuesday which were diverted to alternative airports due to the severe dust, landed in the Kingdom at around 8pm on the same day.

Jordan Aviation also said there were no changes to flight schedules from and to the Kingdom, Petra, reported.

Mohammad Ghazal, Dana Al Emam and Suzanna Goussous contributed to this report

AMMAN — Unstable weather conditions caused by a Red Sea depression accompanied by a relatively cold air mass are forecast to continue affecting the Kingdom until Saturday, Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) Director General Mohammad Samawi said Thursday.

An upper trough is expected to affect the Kingdom on Sunday, Samawi added, noting that areas that did not witness rainfall on Thursday are expected to remain dusty, especially in the southern region.

On Friday, the weather will be partly cloudy with chances of scattered light to heavy showers in northern and central areas as well as southwestern hilly areas, with moderate to brisk southwesterly winds, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted the JMD director general as saying.

The weather is forecast to be partly cloudy on Saturday with chances of light to heavy rainfall in northern, central and some eastern areas in the Kingdom, with moderate to brisk northwesterly winds.

The JMD warned of low visibility due to dust in areas that did not witness rainfall, in addition to the dangers of slippery roads and floods in low-lying areas, especially during the daytime, according to Petra.

Although no rainfall is forecast for Sunday, unstable weather conditions bringing thunderstorms and rain are expected to return on Monday and Tuesday, according to Omar Dajani, a forecaster at Arabiaweather.com.

Dajani told The Jordan Times that a depression might affect the Kingdom and warned of possible flashfloods in Amman and other areas across the country.   

Power outages

The Electricity Distribution Company (EDCO) said its employees are ready for winter weather conditions in terms of maintaining power supply to subscribers in the areas it covers, which include Tafileh, Karak, Maan and Aqaba.

In a statement carried by Petra, EDCO called on managers in all its branches in the different governorates to implement the 2015-2016 emergency plan.

EDCO urged the public to call 065001370 or 080022288 in case of power outages or any issues regarding electricity services in their areas.

The Jordanian Electric Power Company (JEPCO), which serves Amman, Zarqa, Balqa and Madaba, said its engineering and technical staff dealt with malfunctions resulting from unstable weather conditions on Thursday, restoring power in “record time”, Petra reported.

As a result of road closures, the company’s cadres had to remotely cut off power in Amman’s Arjan area after receiving news that some buildings in the area were flooded, JEPCO Director General Marwan Bushnaq said in a statement carried by Petra.

Cutting the power allowed specialised units to perform their duties and pump water out of flooded buildings, Bushnaq explained.

He said the public and subscribers can call 064696000 to report any malfunctions that affect the electricity grid and asked them to stay away from power lines and electricity meters for their safety.

Healthcare services

Also on Thursday, the Health Ministry instructed all its directorates in the governorates to prepare for emergencies and ensure the continuation of good healthcare services.

Petra quoted Health Ministry Spokesperson Hatem Azruie as saying that the ministry has emergency plans that are regularly updated to be activated when necessary, and include a shift system for hospital staff.

AMMAN – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on Thursday said it had downgraded its growth forecast for Jordan's economy this year from 3.6 per cent to 2.8 per cent. 

The London-based bank attributed the decision to revise its growth forecast to instability in countries bordering the Kingdom as the deteriorating regional situation is expected to continue to weigh on the economy. 

Regional instability is adversely affecting Jordan’s economic performance, with growth dropping from 3.1 per cent in 2014 to 2.2 per cent in the first half of 2015, the EBRD said in its latest outlook for the economies where it invests.

The worsening turmoil in neighbouring Syria and Iraq has weighed on tourism and goods exports as Syria and Iraq together account for around 20 per cent of Jordan’s export markets, and other important export destinations rely on transit routes through these countries, the EBRD said, indicating that the Kingdom's exports contracted by over 8 per cent on the year in the first half of 2015, and tourist arrivals were down by over 13 per cent over the same period. 

The EBRD also cited the number of Syrian refugees hosted in Jordan, estimated at 1.5 million. 

"This influx has strained labour markets, government finances and public infrastructure and services," said the report, a copy of which was emailed to The Jordan Times on Thursday. 

The EBRD said growth is expected to improve moderately to 3.5 per cent in 2016, with risks skewed to the downside, adding that low global energy prices should continue to benefit Jordan given its high energy import dependency. 

Last month, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut their growth forecast for Jordan in 2015 due to regional instability and the growth rate achieved in the first half of the year. 

The World Bank expects Jordan's economy to grow by 2.5 per cent this year, while the IMF's forecast was put at 2.9 per cent from 3.1 per cent projected earlier in the year. 

The two international financial organisations and the government expect the economy to expand by 3.7 per cent in 2016 and budget planners prepared next year's budget accordingly. 

AMMAN — The Zaatari Refugee Camp’s administration has made preparations for winter emergencies in cooperation with 47 international and humanitarian organisations, its director Col. Abdul Rahman Omoush said Thursday.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Omoush as saying that the situation in Zaatari, some 90km northeast of Amman, is “stable and reassuring”. 

The administration, he added, is focusing on dealing with harsh weather conditions during winter as part of an emergency plan in cooperation with UNHCR and its partners, the Civil Defence Department, the camp’s hospitals and concerned parties from the water and public works directorates at Zaatari.

An operations room was opened and works around-the-clock, Omoush said, adding that the camp, which houses around 79,150 refugees, has three evacuation sites that include winter necessities of food, heating, blankets and relief supplies.

Road clearing vehicles are also available in case of any emergency, and water drainage channels were cleaned, he noted. 

Mreijeb Al Fhoud Refugee Camp Deputy Director Abdullah Shihi also expressed satisfaction with measures taken by the camp’s administration in preparation for winter.

The situation in the UAE-Jordanian camp, some 25km east of Zarqa, is reassuring and Thursday’s rainfall did not affect the facility because of its “unique infrastructure” and the precautionary measures taken, Shihi said in a statement carried by Petra. 

The camp is home to 6,324 refugees, according to the latest figures from the UNHCR.

AMMAN — Social media users on Thursday criticised authorities’ lack of preparedness and the capital’s weak infrastructure after a heavy early morning downpour inundated streets and apartment buildings in the city.

“Amman is drowning. Lack of planning, corruption and reckless motorists. When will all this end? Same scenario every winter?” Tech Savvy (@Jotechie) tweeted.

The flash floods killed three people and wreaked havoc on roads in Amman, which witnessed traffic jams and the closure of underpasses.

Videos of floods that swept several areas in the capital — including downtown Amman, Marj Al Hamam, Abdali, Sweifieh, Rabiah, Wadi Seer — went viral on social media. 

One of the videos shows some cars in front of the Finance Ministry in Abdali being swept away by flood water with a man desperately trying to stop his car from being carried off before it smashes into a bus.

In another video that went viral on Facebook and Twitter, a group of bus passengers is seen standing on top of the vehicle, which is submerged in water at an underpass.

Videos taken in downtown Amman and Wadi Saqra showed heavy floods sweeping away cars and garbage containers. 

The Twittersphere was also inundated with sarcastic, critical jabs at the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) over what users described as the lack of winter preparations. 

“Surprised by the chaos in Amman from the rain? Don’t be. Flooded tunnels, lack of planning and drivers who only care about themselves,” Ramsey George ‏(@ramseygeorge) tweeted as Twitter and Facebook were flooded with pictures of blocked streets and the damage brought on by the heavy rain.

The Arabic hashtag for “Amman is drowning” was trending in Jordan on Twitter on Thursday.

Some photos shared on Facebook showed the International Amman Stadium, and basements and garages of several residential buildings flooded by the heavy rainfall with cars submerged in the water.

“Amman’s streets are flooded every year. Where are the preparations that we always hear about and the plans for drainage systems? Enough with words,” tweeted Noor (@FaresJordan1212). Ibrahim (@ibrahim_tahainy) tweeted: “I am always surprised that the government itself is surprised [about] the unpreparedness of the infrastructure in the country.”

Similarly, Ahmad Hadad (@hadidi_ahmed) wrote: “Things are officially out of the authorities’ control.” 

Some tweeps, however, said the authorities are not to blame for the situation.

“Before we blame the Greater Amman Municipality, let us remember who are the ones that litter the streets, drainage systems and manholes. All of us are not fulfilling our duty properly towards the country,” tweeted Deema Farraj (@Deema22).